US Army CECOM, C4IEW Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey 07703-5008

59 -- BATTLEFIELD INFORMATION TRANSMISSION SYSTEM (BITS) POC Major Frank Pickney, (908) 427-3135. The US Army CECOM, Space & Terrestrial Communications Directorate (S&TCD) anticipates forming a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRDA) for demonstrating an airborne relay for communications range extension in support of Battlefield Information Transmission Systems (BITS) using an Unmanned Airborne Vehicle (UAV). This will be an unfunded mutual effort. S&TCD is developing airborne relay payloads consisting of transponder and antenna equipment which could be deployed on a UAV and demonstrated with appropriate ground based terminals. Both airborne and ground based equipments will be available by the first quarter of FY 1997. S&TCD is interested in a suitable UAV serving as a platform capable of flying at altitudes of at least 10,000 feet for periods of four (4) hours or more and which can accommodate payload equipment with a total weight of less than 150 pounds with power requirements that will not exceed one (1) kilowat. S&TCD would provide the payload and terminal equipment (GFE) and is interested in integration support and the flight of an appropriate UAV over a period of time necessary to demonstrate the beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) range extension capability of the relay and perform experiments. This demonstration is intended to determine the capabilities and limitations of wideband communications relay payloads, validate the performance of the communications links and test for the effects of multipath, coverage areas and elevation angles. These demonstrations are aimed at supporting future decisions on the production and fielding of airborne relays and associated platform, payload and ground equipments. Responses to this market survey should be received by the Task Engineer not later than 14 caldendar days after the apprearance of this announcement. The Government has reserved the week of 22 April 1196 to hold one on one sessions, not to exceed two hours each, with parties interested in this CRDA. The responses and requests for scheduling should be directed to US Army CECOM, ATTN: AMSEL-RD-ST-SY-TE, Ft. Monmouth, NJ 07703-5203. The Task Engineeris Major Frank Pinkney, (908) 427-3135. (0089)

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